Jonathan Owens didn’t play when it came to carving out the time to support his wife, Simone Biles, in Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The professional football player signed with the Chicago Bears in March as a free agent, and, according to Yahoo! Sports, the discussion around him taking time from training camp to support Biles was negotiated at the onset.
“Obviously, the Olympics were coming up, and you know who my wife is,” Owens, 29, said Thursday after the Bears’ training camp practice. “It was all respectful. We went to them and asked, ‘We’d really appreciate if he could go to support his wife.’”
On Monday, he’ll leave Chicago after Bears practice to fly to Paris for the Olympics.
“I can’t wait to be able to support her,” he said.
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Biles is gearing up to make a triumphant comeback after the difficult decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics due to developing “the twisties,” a dangerous neurological condition that causes the mind and body to stop cooperating.
During the first two episodes of her Netflix docuseries, “Simone Biles Rising,” several athletes and officials connected to the Olympics explained how challenging the Tokyo Olympics were for competing athletes due to COVID-19 restrictions. Without the audience to provide energy and friends and family to provide much-needed support, it was an isolating experience for many. That sense of isolation, plus the pressure applied by the media and public, contributed to Biles experiencing the twisties.
In the years since, the record-breaking gymnast regained her focus gradually through practicing with her teammates, adopting a self-care regimen, and working with a therapist. She and Owens were married in May 2023, first during a courthouse ceremony in Houston, and again during a destination wedding in Mexico, surrounded by friends and family.
The Olympic women’s gymnastic team finals are scheduled for Tuesday, and the women’s all-around final is scheduled for Aug. 1. While he can’t reside with his wife in the Olympic Village, Owens plans to be in Paris for each event.
“It’s the person you love most, man, and you see them out there in a position where someone could get hurt, and you care,” Owens said during the briefing. “I’m just holding my breath, and I have my little piece of paper right there ready calculating everything, so I can’t wait.”
